The invention relates to a multi-part cover particularly for the storage compartment in the body of convertibles for storing the vehicle top.
Multi-part covers for top storage compartments of con-vertibles are known, for example, from DE 197 12 967 A1. They consist of a center part and side parts, which are disposed at the sides of the center part and smoothly fitted to the center part when the vehicle cover is closed. The side parts are supported by the center part and connected to the center part by way of a pivot-slide joint in such a way that, by level displacement, they are moved from the original closed position, in which the center part and the side parts are disposed in a reference plane determined by the center part, to a position relative to the center part in which they overlap the center part. In this overlap position, the side parts are disposed essentially below the center part. The relative movement of the side parts with respect to the supporting center part is achieved by a hydraulic drive mechanism, when the necessary timing of translating and pivot movements requires additional design and control efforts.
Another multi-part vehicle cover, which functionally corresponds to the one just described, is disclosed in DE 44 46 483 A1. It consists of a center part formed by two center sections and side parts disposed at the sides of the center part. The two center sections are formed by panels of which the, in travel direction of the vehicle, front panel, which extends over the vehicle seats, forms a first cover part whereas the rearwardly adjacent panel forms a second cover part that consists of two panel sections. The two panel sections of the second cover part are interconnected along a pivot axis extending transverse to the vehicle and can be pivoted-folded against one another into a pivot position normal to the first cover part.
The cover parts are supported at the side each by a slide track on which they are longitudinally slidable. The slide track extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is part of a guide unit. The guide unit itself is movable with respect to a guide track of the guide unit, which is firmly mounted on the vehicle body. The relative movability of the cover parts and the slide tracks are utilized to form a storage shelf adjacent the inside of the cover when the vehicle cover is closed and the various cover parts of the cover unit are arranged in a contiguous manner forming a cover plane. When the top is opened and stored away, the gap formed between the cover parts and the rear vehicle lid is covered by the cover unit which, for that purpose assumes a rearwardly displaced cover position.
During transition, that is, the movement of the top from it closed position to its storage position in the top storage compartment, access is provided to the storage compartment in that the two cover sections of the second cover part are folded against one another and arranged in an upright position with respect to the first cover part, while the slide track and the first cover part are in a front position with respect to the vehicle travel direction.
At opposite sides of the second top part, there are the side parts which are extended to the center part formed by the two cover sections only when the top is deposited in the storage compartment. In all other positions of the cover unit the side parts are pivoted inwardly over the second cover part. This occurs while the respective side part is propped up by a pivot block, which is in a stationary position with respect to the front panel of the second top part and which is operatively connected to the guide unit such that, depending on the position of the guide unit, the respective side part is raised from a position flat with the cover part and is pivoted inwardly over the cover part or, respectively, is pivoted out of the inwardly pivoted position into a position coplanar with the cover part.
Another multi-part cover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,447. It serves for covering the rear seat area of convertible vehicles. In this design, the side parts are supported by the center part by way of pivot axes which extend parallel to a reference plane which includes center part and side parts when the cover is closed. They are spring loaded toward their position alongside the center part in which they are disposed in the reference plane defined by the center part. Depending on the pivot amount of the center part away from the cover position into an open position, the side parts are pivoted with respect to the center part against the force of a spring into an overlapping position with the center part.
In another design as disclosed in DE 39 39 145 A1, the side parts of the cover which includes a center part and side parts are supported on the vehicle body by way of vertical pivot axis and the pivot movement of the side parts below the center part is coupled with a longitudinal translation of the center part in the direction toward the pivot axes of the side parts which pivot axes are stationary with respect to the vehicle body.
EP 0 302 963 B1 discloses a top storage cover for convertibles, wherein the center part of the cover, which comprises a center part and side parts, is integrally formed with a vertical back wall that forms a separation structure between the vehicle interior and the top storage containment. The backwall again is pivotally mounted with its bottom edge to the vehicle body so as to be pivotable about a transverse vehicle axis. By tilting the back wall and, together therewith, the center part toward the interior of the vehicle, the center part can be transferred into an open position. With the pivot movement of the back wall forwardly toward the vehicle interior in connection with the pivotal support of the side parts about a vertical pivot axis, the side parts can be pivoted toward the longitudinal center axis of the vehicle into overlapping position with the center part.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a multi-part cover for a convertible vehicle top storage space which cover is movable between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position the vehicle top storage compartment with the vehicle top disposed therein is covered and the cover side part are disposed flush with the center part. They are supported in this position in a stable manner but, during the transfer of the multipart cover between its closed and open positions, the side parts are easily movable into an overlapping position with the center part of the cover.
In a multi-part cover for a vehicle top storage compartment of a convertible vehicle with removable top, which cover includes a center part and adjacent side parts which, for opening the storage compartment are movable out of the positions adjacent the center part into an overlapping position with the center part while undergoing a height displacement, the side parts are elastic resiliently connected to the center parts. Stops are provided on the vehicle body, by which the side parts are engaged when the cover is closed so that the side parts are biased against the elastic support into a reference plane defined by the center part for flush alignment with the center part.
With this arrangement, the transfer of the side parts into an overlapping position with the center part is facilitated. The height displacement of the side parts with respect to the center part is accommodated during closing of the cover by an engagement of the side parts with stops which are preferably part of the vehicle body and so arranged that, in a closed position of the center part the side parts are biased into a position flush with the center part of the cover so that they are all disposed in a common reference plane.
The firm support of the side parts relative to the center part by way of vehicle body supports and the utilization of these supports in the displacement of the side parts into a surface-flush position with the center part during the transition of the cover from its open to its closed position may be realizedxe2x80x94within the scope of the inventionxe2x80x94with covers which are as a whole pivotable between a closed and an open position, particularly about an axis extending transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis. Such support may also be obtained in connection with covers which are slidably supported at least over part of the movement between the open and closed positions wherein the slide and pivot movements may also be combined. Preferably, the slide or pivot movements of the cover are employed during movement of the cover to the closed or out of the closed position in order to bring the side parts of the cover in contact with the supports or to move them away from the supports so that they can be biased into the reference plane that is into a flush position with the center part or out of this position into a height displaced position with respect to the reference plane for the transfer into an overlapping position with the center part.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the multi-part cover is utilized in connection with convertible vehicle tops wherein a common drive is provided for the vehicle top and the multipart cover. In that case, the common drive is engaged for transferring the multipart cover between the open and close positions only when the top is already, or is still, disposed in the storage compartment. This applies to the opening as well as the closing of the top. For driving the side parts with respect to the center part, the relative motion between the cover as a whole and the top operating linkage is utilized which is available for that purpose only when the top is already, or still is, disposed in the storage compartment.
For the connection of the side parts to the center part, it is advantageous to provide the center part with a support member and connect the side parts to the support member in such a way that the side parts can assume a height different from the reference plane which is defined by the center part and in which the side parts are disposed flush with the center part when the cover is closed.
It is however also within the scope of the invention to make the support member itself of an elastic material for example to provide a support member in the form of a leaf spring, which is deformed when the side part engages the stop to such an extent that the side part can be moved into a position flush with the center part.
Particularly, if the support member is rigid and is supported with respect to the center part by way of a pivot pin, which is vertical with respect to the reference plane and determines the pivot axis of the respective side part, the side part can be connected to the support member so as to be pivotable or movable parallel to the reference plane. A pivot connection is particularly suitable if, for a transfer of the side part into an overlapping position with the center part, the side part must first only be height-displaced in the area where it joins the center part so that the side part is inclined with respect to the reference plane wherein the side part is, in the direction of the height displacement, partially still in an overlapping position with the center part. During movement into the overlapping position, the crossing position is eliminated in that the pivot axis of the support member is arranged slightly inclined with respect to a line extending vertically to the reference plane so that, during the pivot movement, the height of the side part with respect to the reference plane is also changed.
Particularly in connection with such a pivot connection between the support member and the side part it is advantageous to connect the support member in the area of its free end to the side part by a pivot axis, wherein the support member is preferably disposed in an area of the side part on which there is a wide overlap between the side part and the support member so that a large pivot radius is available which provides the necessary height displacement with a relatively small pivot angle.
The support member or respectively, the pivot axis in the connection between the support member and the center part is preferably arranged opposite to that area of the center part in which the side part pivots into its overlapping position with the center part.
It is also within the scope of the invention to arrange the side part so as to be movable parallel to the support member for example by way of leaf spring guide structures. Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous if the support member is supported on the center part so as to be slidable in a transverse direction that is if it is movable essentially parallel to the reference plane so that the side parts can move from the side into an overlapping position with the center part when they are displaced in height relative to the reference plane.